A State-Supported Hermeneutics? The Theology of Translations of the Qur’an by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs

The Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı), established in 1924, is one of the earliest religious institutions of the Turkish Republic. As an influential organization, not only in Turkey but also globally, with the rise of political Islam in the secular country, Diyanet has developed many approaches to promote Islam worldwide. While most studies on Qur’an translation in Turkey focus on works into the Turkish language (known as Kur’an Meali, or “Meaning of the Qur’an”), the question remains as to how translations into other languages appear, with approximately 30 translations published to date. The main aim of this research is to examine the rise in demand for Qur’an translations into other languages, especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the Turkish religious establishment began to play a more significant political role. Using exegetical sources published in 20th-century Turkey, this study argues that Diyanet tended to create a mainstream Sunni exegetics, reflected in both Turkish tafsir works and some newly published translations into other languages, or newly revised editions. By comparing works in English, German, Bulgarian, Russian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, and a few other languages, especially their approach to the source text, exegetical choice made and the commentaries attached, the final aim is to identify both the essential and formal features of this state-supported exegetical standard.